History s Influence on Philadelphia s Postal Communication John Barwis Chester County Historical Society, 14 April 2018
Summary Early colonization, 1638-1680 British colonial times, 1681-1775 Conflicts with Great Britain, 1776-1815 Transition from Sail to Steam, 1816-1839 The US-GB Postal Treaty of 1848 The Philadelphia Exchange Office, 1854
Where would you build a city? Access to water power Suitability for shipping Agricultural opportunity 18 th century British packets went only to New York
Nya Sverige, 1638 J. Printz, Governor, 1643-54 Lindeström s Geographia Americae, 1654 Fort Christina
No Mail System in Nya Sverige Fort Christina 23 May 1640 Stockholm 12 July 1640 I now in six years and a half have had no letter or message from my fatherland. 1754, Johan Prins Governor of Nya Sverige Riksmuseet, Stockholm Ter Braake, 1975
Nieuw Nederland, 1655 Ft. Ft. Beversrede Beversreede Peter Stuyvesant, Governor commons.wikimedia.org
Intercolonial Communication Nieuw Amsterdam 24 July 1650 Nya Sverige arrival unknown Letter from Peter Stuyvesant, Governor of Nieuw Nederland, to Johan Prins, Governor of Nya Sverige. Route unknown. Riksmuseet, Stockholm Ter Braake, 1975
New York Province, 1664 James, Duke of York
Pennsylvania Colony, 1681-1776 William Penn
To the Bucks Co. Administrator These For his Esteemed friend Phineas Pemberton in ye County of Bucks In Pensillvania [sic] In Amerika With caer [sic] Warrington, Cheshire, 25 April 1683
From William Penn in London Rec d 4h O ber 90 Transit 359 days No contract mail service No scheduled sailings Voyages mostly trade-based London, 9 October 1689 Courtesy James Milgram
Private Ship from Philadelphia Ship Hannah Main Exports Agricultural & forest products Main Imports Sugar, bills of exchange, finished goods, slaves Philadelphia, 23 September 1708 Kingston, 9 December 3:1 trade imbalance with G.B.
Bristol-New York Packets William Warren s packet service 1710-1712 Sailings irregular Bristol New York Bristol Rate one shilling Overland to New York Phila: post pd to NYK London: In All 1/3 Philadelphia, 30 September 1710 Bristol, 6 January; London 8 January Courtesy Siegel Auctions
Overland Route to New York Assunpink Trail Philadelphia Morrisville Trenton Princeton New Brunswick Elizabethtown Newark Jersey City Manhattan Base map published by A. Finley, Philadelphia, 1834 1795 1665
Private Ship from New York Rated by Ben Franklin Sender paid 3dwt, 8 grains Philadelphia, 30 October 1748 Private ship Friendship New York 2 January Dover 15 April 106 days
Falmouth-New York Packets Packet General Wall Falmouth 11 September New York 8 November Sender paid 1/- New York rated 3 dwt due Philadelphia collected 1/3 in local currency London, 11 September 1756
Revolutionary Hostilities Begin Armed Packet Through American Privateer Blockade of N.Y. Packet Swallow Falmouth, 9 January 1776 New York, 9 March 1776 Carried privately to Philadelphia 2/6 due in Pennsylvania currency Bristol, 20 December 1775
The War Comes to Philadelphia American Privateer Blockade of Delaware Bay Ship Chalkley London rated 5 pence due 1d ship, 4d inland Philadelphia, 2 August 1775 Bristol, 17 September
1783 Return of Packet Service Packet Shelburn : Falmouth 16 December New York 4 February Sender paid 1/6 New York rated 2 dwt due Liverpool, 3 December 1785
Franco-British War, 1792-1815 Ship John Via Cadiz and Havana 69 days to Philadelphia Hull, 23 July 1803 Philadelphia, 30 October 1803
Prelude to the War of 1812-15 Pres. Madison Recalls his Ambassador to Great Britain Frigate Essex Cowes, 6 May Annapolis,1 July London, 8 April 1811
British Blockade Delaware Bay Cartel Ship via Bermuda Royal Edward Liverpool, 20 March Philadelphia 12 June Withdrawn ship letter: 9d paid 9 cents due in Philadelphia Manchester, 20 January 1815
T.P. Cope & Son of Philadelphia Ship Lancaster Liverpool, 28 July Philadelphia, 13 Sep Broomfield, 14 July 1819
Cope Line of Liverpool Packets Ship Pocahontas ship 2 inland 25 due 27 Liverpool, 9 October 1835 Philadelphia, 9 November 1835
Competitors in New York The Black Ball Line Ship Orpheus Liverpool 16 May New York 15 June London, 12 May 1834 Philadelphia, 16 June 1834
Early Transatlantic Steamers Birmingham, 15 September 1838 Steamship Royal William Liverpool, 20 September / New York 10 October
Scheduled Steam Service Begins The Cunard Line Cunard Caledonia Liverpool 19 September Boston, 3 October Transatlantic in 15 days Canton, 17 February 1840 Private ship to London
Rise of New York Port Boston Phila. New York
Liverpool, 19 November 1844 The Special Arrangement Liverpool, 19 November 1844 Boston, 7 December Phila. rated 20¾ due: 2 ship, 18¾ inland
Cunard America: Liverpool 24 February Boston 8 March US-British Treaty of 1848 First Westbound Sailing Cunard America Liverpool 24 Feb Boston 8 March Sender paid 1/- In Glasgow Liverpool rated 5 Due in Phila. Glasgow, 22 February 1849
US-British Treaty of 1848 Pre- Philadelphia Exchange Office, 1849-1853 Sent unpaid debit to U.S. 19 due in U.S. 24 London, 9 November 1849 Philadelphia, 26 November 1849
Phila. Gets Steamship Service The Inman Line City of Manchester Prepaid 8d outgoing ship fee 7 due in Buffalo Liverpool, 17 September 1851 Philadelphia, 3 October 1851
Phila. Man Becomes PMG James Campbell Philadelphia native: 1812 1893 Attorney, City Commissioner, Judge Candidate for the Supreme Court, 1851 Pennsylvania Attorney General, 1852 Candidate for the U.S. Senate, 1861 Board Chairman, Jefferson Medical College Member, Philadelphia Board of City Trusts Postmaster General, 1853-1857 Source: NPM
Exchange Office Suitability? Source: hellophiladelphia.com 145 km trip up the Delaware River to a shoal-water harbor No scheduled transatlantic steam service until 1873 New York only three hours away by rail
The Philadelphia Exchange 1847 Lehman & Duval, 1835 The Library Co. of Philadelphia 1979
Philadelphia Exchange Office Incoming Unpaid Cunard Niagara Liverpool 7 Jan Boston 25 Jan Sent unpaid Liverpool rated 19 debit to U.S. Manchester, 6 January 1854 Philadelphia, 26 January 1854
Philadelphia Exchange Office Incoming Prepaid Cunard Asia Liverpool 21 March New York 4 April Prepaid 1/- Liverpool 5 credit to U.S. Jersey, 17 March 1857 Philadelphia, 4 April 1857
Philadelphia Foreign Mail Cancels 1865 1880s Philadelphia,23 December 1868 London, 4 January 1869
Summary Independence Hall 1681: Pennsylvania Charter granted 1682: Wm. Penn s landing 1683: Penn authorizes weekly post 1701: Penn grants city charter 1755: Falmouth packet service begins 1776: Declaration; Phila. pop. ~35,000 1825: Erie Canal opens 1834: Railroad to New York 1840: Cunard Liverpool-Boston service 1854: Phila. Exchange Office opens
Summary Letters entering via Boston & N.Y. in closed bags Ship letters as early as late 1844 US-British Treaty mail before Exchange authority granted Special arrangement between PMG and PM Liverpool. Exchange Office status granted as political patronage Little postal benefit; probably considerable financial benefit Incoming mails were already expedited, so no time was saved Incoming mail only to Philadelphia addresses; therefore scarce Phila. foreign-mail cancels: 1866 into GPU